Infrastructure Week, Eh?

 

NOW: One “hoot” and the WH celebrates passing infrastructure with calling a lid and playing “Closing Time” over the loud speaker pic.twitter.com/3TAUByd9KB

— Brian J. Karem (@BrianKarem) November 6, 2021

It wasn't pretty but we have an infrastructure bill and it got passed. It was bipartisan. It's a BFD--and the progresive caucus votes against are basically a pro forma protest because the deciding votes were already in. Safe water, roads, and bridges. 

I think BBB is truly going to happen too, because I think passing this means less trouble ahead if I understand the reporting. After the really good job report and the recent Dow Jones highs, and now this hard-won legislative success, it really feels like we're in good hands. Not to denigrate the former administration because I've already done that enough. But to positivly state "Thank you Brandon!" as the Twitter trend says. 

 (The across the street neighbors who also have a thin blue line flag have posted a "Let's go Brandon" sign on their little bit of a lawn. I am almost of a mind to seek out a "Brandon Won" sign. But, I am not the one to start shit on the block, so no. But I find it a little worrisome, just not in a black flag kind of way. Yet.)

UPDATE: What do we have here?  

Here's what we have: 

What’s in it: The infrastructure bill will cost $1.2 trillion over eight years, and offers more than $550 billion in new spending, including:

• $110 billion toward roads, bridges and other much-needed infrastructure fix-ups across the country; $40 billion is new funding for bridge repair, replacement, and rehabilitation and $17.5 billion is for major projects;
• $73 billion for the country's electric grid and power structures;
• $66 billion for rail services;
• $65 billion for broadband;
• $55 billion for water infrastructure;
• $21 billion in environmental remediation;
• $47 billion for flooding and coastal resiliency as well as "climate resiliency," including protections against fires, etc.;
• $39 billion to modernize transit, which is the largest federal investment in public transit in history, according to the White House;
• $25 billion for airports;
• $17 billion in port infrastructure;
• $11 billion in transportation safety programs;
• $7.5 billion for electric vehicles and EV charging; $2.5 billion in zero-emission buses, $2.5 billion in low-emission buses, and $2.5 billion for ferries;
• The bill will include language regarding enforcement of unemployment insurance fraud;
• And it will add $256 billion in projected deficits over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office

All needed improvements. 

It isn't our wildest dreams of good, but it's very good.